| The Chinese Cat | |
| Director: | Phil Rosen |
| Producer: | Phillip N. Krasne James S. Burkett |
| Starring: | Sidney Toler Joan Woodbury Mantan Moreland |
| Music: | David Chudnow |
| Cinematography: | Ira H. Morgan |
| Editing: | John Link |
| Studio: | Monogram Pictures |
| Distributor: | Monogram Pictures |
| Runtime: | 66 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
The Chinese Cat (also titled Murder in the Funhouse) is a 1944 mystery film starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan.
Mr. Manning is murdered in his study while the door is locked from the inside. Police close the case after 6 months. A girl contacts Charlie Chan to have a look before he leaves in 48 hours. Twins are involved in a diamond-smuggling ring after the Kohinoor Diamonds are stolen; one twin is killed and the other living twin masquerades as a ghost tricking Birmingham Brown. Mr. Manning had the largest stone stored in the secret compartment of a Chinese cat statue, and doublecrossed his associates. Movie ends in a carnival funhouse with police arresting the diamond-smuggling ring for three murders. Rival author of Manning Murder Solved book must now pay $20,000 to Chinese War Relief after a lost bet with Charlie Chan about the murderer's identity.
The film was the second Charlie Chan movie from Monogram. It was originally called Charlie Chan and the Perfect Crime and filming started on 4 January 1944.[1]
This is the film where Birmingham Brown is permanently hired as Charlie Chan's chauffeur. He is looking for a new job after the guilty criminals blow up his taxicab with a bomb.